Sunday, November 24, 2013

A simple sentence delivered by an extraordinary actor who played an immensely intense character named The Joker. Heath Ledger presented us with the best performance of his career as he took over the role of a psychotic villain in the most enthralling fashion ever. There is no doubt in my mind that such a fascinating act will never be replicated, at least when it comes to the role of The Joker.

The legendary Jack Nicholson had played the Joker in an earlier Batman movie and reports had suggested that he was furious over not being approached for the role again. With due respect to his talent, I'm sure that he ended up admiring Ledger's execution of the twisted maniac. Nicholson was not the only one furious as the general public also showed their disagreement over Ledger being chosen to play the part. Little did they know that they were about to witness a mind blowing performance of pure evil. It's not easy to play a complex character and it's definitely not easy to play someone as crazy and dark as the Joker. Ledger nailed it when it comes to the different sides of the Joker's personality, right from his terrifying seriousness to smart and well-timed humor. According to him, the Joker is the most fun he had with any character and it exceeded any expectations that he had. One wouldn't beg to differ after watching his brilliant performance as it exceeded the expectations of many for sure. He managed to bring out the most evil, unpredictable and deranged villain in the history of cinema. Director Christopher Nolan was bold enough to give the Joker more space than the actual hero Batman and it certainly paid off. For a change a villain overshadowed the hero and it's just because of Ledger's immaculate acting and much credit should be given to the way he reinvented the Joker. Of course, he is funny but at the same time he is a sadist and a schemer who has no selfish motive behind the mayhem he creates except mayhem itself. He is genuinely disturbing and there is not one peaceful moment while he is in the picture. Ledger's portrayal of this psychopath is unsettling as he flawlessly delivers.

For me, The Dark Knight is not about Batman, a hero who is loved and adored by Gotham City. For me The Dark Knight is plain admiration of the genius of Heath Ledger, in many ways a love for the evil that he has played, the evil which will be very difficult to forget.